Air cleaning device for a toilet bowl

Abstract

An air cleaning device for attachment to a toilet bowl comprises a bracket mounted on the bolts behind the toilet seat and extending outwardly to one side. At the end of a bracket is mounted a cradle into which a housing is mounted including a fan housing and a filter assembly. The filter assembly is carried on the underside of the fan housing and includes a cage having a closed base wall and a plurality of vertical bars for the air enters the interior of the cage and escapes horizontally through the bars. A sleeve-shaped filter element is mounted over the bars and sits on the horizontal base. Vertical power supplied by a battery pack which can slide in and out of a receptacle on the top cover of the housing. The housing includes a nozzle which can slide in and out of a receptacle in the housing, the nozzle being formed in the shape of a flat tube so as to extend over the toilet bowl.

We claim: 
     
       1. An air cleaning device for mounting on a toilet bowl having a bowl opening, a bowl rim and a seat mounting on the rim rearwardly of the opening, the device comprising a bracket having a first portion arranged for mounting on the toilet bowl at the seat mounting, a second cradle portion projecting from the first portion outwardly to one side of the bowl,   a flat nozzle member arranged to form an open slot shaped mouth for projecting over the rim and under the seat, the flat nozzle member including a flange at an end thereof and extending outwardly at right angles thereto;   a housing mounted on the cradle portion so as to be located to one side of the rim and being substantially rectangular including a front face facing toward the rim, a rear face parallel to the front face, a pair of side faces generally at right angles to the front face, and a lower surface facing downwardly toward the floor having a cylindrical wall portion of circular cross-section with an outlet opening being arranged at a bottom of the cylindrical wall portion;   a slide receptacle is provided on the front face of the housing for receiving the flange at the rear end of the flat nozzle, said slide receptacle defining a slot between a pair of L-shaped members, an upper L-shaped member and a lower L-shape member, the slide receptacle being closed at one end and open at the other, inside said receptacle being defined a horizontal elongate slot-shaped inlet opening into the housing;   a fan and motor mounted in the housing above the lower surface;   a filter support cage mounted on the housing at the outlet opening extending downwardly, having a plurality of vertical bars annularly spaced apart defining a cylindrical outer surface and a hollow interior, having at a lower end of the vertical bars a horizontal ring which connects to a vertical ring below, the vertical ring being attached to a closed horizontal base plate at a position thereon spaced inwardly from an outside edge of the horizontal base plate forming a flange extending outwardly beyond the vertical bars and defining a lower surface on which the sleeve shaped filter member sits, and having at an upper end of the vertical bars an upper ring and interlocking fastening means for connecting to the housing;   the interlocking fastening means being snap fasteners comprising shoulders on the upper ring of the filter support cage extending upwards for engaging shoulders on the interior of the cylindrical wall portion of the housing;   a sleeve shaped flexible filter member engaged over the filter support cage including a cylindrical filter element for positioning over the filter support cage and sitting on an upper surface of the horizontal base plate outside the vertical bars, and wherein the filter element is formed of a flexible porous material carrying an activated carbon filter, the sleeve shaped filter having a fabric enclosure with a top band to hold said fabric enclosure in place over the whole of the filter support cage including the underside of the horizontal base plate;   the housing and fan being arranged such that air drawn by the fan into the mouth of the nozzle is expelled from the housing into the hollow interior of the cage and through the filter member.   
     
     
       2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the rectangular housing includes a fan housing section and separate cover member defining a cavity above the fan housing for receiving an electronics control board. 
     
     
       3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the fan housing is formed in two pieces separable at the first opening. 
     
     
       4. The device according claim 1 wherein the housing includes a horizontal lower surface portion surrounding at least part thereof and engageable with the cradle portion. 
     
     
       5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the housing includes a portion thereof standing upwardly from the cradle portion. 
     
     
       6. An air cleaning device for mounting on a toilet bowl having a bowl opening, a bowl rim and a seat mounting on the rim rearwardly of the opening, the device comprising a bracket having a first portion arranged for mounting on the toilet bowl at the seat mounting, a second cradle portion projecting from the first portion outwardly to one side of the bowl,   a flat nozzle member arranged to form an open slot shaped mouth for projecting over the rim and under the seat, the flat nozzle member including a flange at an end thereof and extending outwardly at right angles thereto;   a housing mounted on the cradle portion so as to be located to one side of the rim and being substantially rectangular including a front face facing toward the rim, a rear face parallel to the front face, a pair of side faces generally at right angles to the front face, and a lower surface facing downwardly toward the floor having a cylindrical wall portion of circular cross-section with an outlet opening being arranged at a bottom of the cylindrical wall portion;   a slide receptacle is provided on the front face of the housing for receiving the flange at the rear end of the flat nozzle, said slide receptacle defining a slot between a pair of L-shaped members, an upper L-shaped member and a lower L-shape member, the slide receptacle being closed at one end and open at the other, inside said receptacle being defined a horizontal elongate slot-shaped inlet opening into the housing;   a fan and motor mounted in the housing above the lower surface;   a rechargeable battery pack mounted in a receptacle on a top surface of the housing, said battery pack being substantially rectangular and including a base flange allowing it to slide under side edges of the receptacle, and including a pair of terminals on the underside thereof which engage cooperating terminals on the top surface of the cover within the receptacle;   a filter support cage mounted on the housing at the outlet opening extending downwardly, having a plurality of vertical bars annularly spaced apart defining a cylindrical outer surface and a hollow interior, having at a lower end of the vertical bars a horizontal ring which connects to a vertical ring below, the vertical ring being attached to the closed horizontal base plate at a position thereon spaced inwardly from an outside edge of the horizontal base plate forming a flange extending outwardly beyond the vertical bars and defining a lower surface on which the sleeve shaped filter member sits, and having at an upper end of the vertical bars an upper ring and interlocking fastening means for connecting to the housing;   the interlocking fastening means being snap fasteners comprising shoulders on the upper ring of the filter support cage extending upwards for engaging shoulders on the interior of the cylindrical wall portion of the housing;   a sleeve shaped flexible filter member engaged over the filter support cage including a cylindrical filter element for positioning over the filter support cage and sitting on an upper surface of the horizontal base plate outside the vertical bars, and wherein the filter element is formed of a flexible porous material carrying an activated carbon filter, the sleeve shaped filter having a fabric enclosure with a top band to hold said fabric enclosure in place over the whole of the filter support cage including the underside of the horizontal base plate;   the housing and fan being arranged such that air drawn by the fan into the mouth of the nozzle is expelled from the housing into the hollow interior of the cage and through the filter member.   
     
     
       7. The device according to claim 6 wherein the rectangular housing includes a fan housing section and separate cover member defining a cavity above the fan housing for receiving an electronics control board. 
     
     
       8. The device according to claim 7 wherein the fan housing is formed in two pieces separable at the first opening. 
     
     
       9. The device according claim 6 wherein the housing includes a horizontal lower surface portion surrounding at least part thereof and engageable with the cradle portion. 
     
     
       10. The device according to claim 9 wherein the housing includes a portion thereof standing upwardly from the cradle portion.